The Playboy
by roankun
Summary: Two best friends with a bond that lasted from childhood. A new transfer student with a past. A past that intertwines with the two's, and be the force that drives them all apart.
1. That Fateful Lunch Break

**Disclaimer: **The author doesn't own Detective Conan or any of its characters. The scenes are all made in the author's imagination. Any similarity to incidents past, present or future are merely coincidence. Any odd behavior shown by reader after reading this will not be the responsibility of the author.

**Note:**Fic is AU. Note and disclaimer will not be repeated in later chapters.

**Chapter 1: That Fateful Lunch Break**

The name's Kaito. Kuroba Kaito.

I'm known as the Playboy, with a capital P. I'm a natural Casanova. At the ripe age of 16, I've gone out with every girl in school, and dumped them the very next day. Well... _Almost _every girl.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I guess it all started during that fateful lunch break, the third best time to hit on girls.

Two freshmen were offering me their bentos. I accepted, taking it from their hands with my trademark smile. Squealing, they ran off to tell their girl friends about this 'great' accomplishment.

What were their names again? Oh well, it's not like it matters since I can say with confidence that I've already dated those two girls _and_ their girl friends.

Bentos in hand, I headed for the homeroom of Kudo Shinichi, my best bud since childhood.

Who's Kudo Shinichi?

He's the student who always gets top ranking without trying, the one who always solves the case when watching mystery shows, the hero of the soccer team with great potential, and the guy who's so dense, he doesn't notice the half the female population staring gooey-eyed at him.

Jealous? Do I sound that way? Sorry to disappoint, but I'm not.

The lowest ranking I ever got was tenth, and that was because I had back-to-back dates with brunettes during the finals. I only get the criminal right half the time but, hey, that's normal. After all, I'm not the one who inherited deduction skills from my dad. I'm the star of the track team, setting the record of the fastest hundred meter dash. As for girls, well, I don't really have to explain _that _now, do I?

We're different from each other. We have different opinions, mostly different interests. Hell, we even support different teams. I support the Tigers, he's for the Panthers. Hey, it's not my fault the Tigers always wins.

Anyway, back on topic: I opened the door of class 2-1, looking for that familiar cowlick. I smiled as I saw it, his head buried in another sports magazine. _If only he'd shake his mind off that soccer cloud, he'd have half as many girlfriends as I do._

I was about to approach him when I noticed someone sitting beside him. Now, nothing wrong with that except… The seat beside him used to be empty. That meant this person was student who transferred in the middle of the school year. Only one thing surprised me. This transfer student was... a girl. This transfer student was... hot.

_Target lock on._

Her eyes, a cross between green and blue, gave off a sort of untouchable aura. Her hair, tinted reddish-brown, was short, but strands of it framed her delicate features. Even from afar, I could rate her body and I must say, with the figure this girl had, she could have easily been crowned last year's Miss Teitan High.

Knowing Kudo, he won't try to make a pass on her. He's waaayyyy too dense for that. But he _might_ be a little useful this time. I put down the bentos on the nearest desk and mussed up my hair a little (girls love that, they say it makes me look 'sexy').

"Yo, Kudo," I called out. No response. From Kudo and my target, at least. When I entered the classroom, half the girls had swooned at the sight of me. The other half who didn't notice my entrance had heard my voice, looked at me and _then_ swooned at the sight of me.

I didn't expect a response from him anyway. But I didn't think the transfer student would ignore me. Anyway, I walked toward him, waited for a few seconds and snapped the magazine he was reading shut.

Finally. A reaction. He blinked a few times at the closed magazine, looked up, saw me and smiled. "Yo, Kaito."

"Don't 'yo Kaito' me." I grinned fondly at him and I turned my attention to the girl beside him. "Mind to introduce me to your seatmate, Kudo?"

"Okay," he said turning to her.

_Okay..? Wow, that was a fast reaction._ Now, you might all think 'what's wrong with saying okay?' but it's not normal. Not for Kudo, at least. I know I said he was smart, but as you may not have noticed, he's kinda absent-minded.

"Kaito, this is Miyano Shiho. She's a transfer student," he said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"So I heard," I said, not missing a beat. I turned to her, giving her my best smile. "Nice to meet you, Shiho."

Kudo frowned at me. "You know her, Kaito?"

"I do now." I looked at him, amused. "How could I know her when I asked you to introduce me?"

His frown deepened. "That's what I was wondering about." He cocked his head, looking confused (the nosy girls who were staring at us almost fainted at this. I gotta admit, Kudo would've been another Playboy if he tried). "Then why did you call Miyano-san Shiho?"

_Does Kudo have something for this girl? He's awfully sharp. _"Is there a rule saying I can't?"

"Well... Not that there is but..." He seemed hesitant to continue. I decided to humor him, but just a little. No way was I gonna ruin my record for dating every girl in school just for my uncertain feelings, even if it were my best friend.

"If it bothers you so much, I'll call her 'Miyano-san.' Well, until she asks me to call her 'Shiho' at least," I said smiling confidently.

"I don't think she ever will," he muttered under his breath. I stopped, stared at him. _Did he just say what I thought he just said?_ But he was looking back at me, in that innocent way he always did. _It must have been my imagination._

"W-well um-" did I just stutter!? "-have you shown her around school yet? Since you're her seatmate I suppose Mouri-sensei would've asked you to do it."

"The thing is," he started, something flickering in his eyes. _Is that disappointment? _I looked closer, narrowing my eyes just a little. The flicker disappeared. _It was probably nothing. _"Miyano-san said she already knows her way around the school so there was no need."

"Is that so..." I said, glancing at the transfer student who, through the whole conversation, had not once looked at me. I got a little irritated. I wasn't used to being ignored. Not to mention, by a girl. Being ignored by a girl as hot as her was wounding my pride. But I didn't show it. No, of course not. Showing how annoyed I was would've been bad for my reputation.

_If she declined Kudo's invitation that must mean she spoke to him. I can't believe he got the first move... Though he probably wasn't even trying._

"Ne, Miyano-**san**," I said, stressing the -san, "Won't you even look at me?"

Silence. She kept staring out the window.

_A challenge, _I realized. _This must be a challenge. Hmmm... Maybe that untouchable aura wasn't a bluff after all. Interesting... I'll have you before the school year ends, Shiho. You mark my words._

I blinked. _Before the school year ends? Why am I giving myself so much time? _I gazed at the side of her face visible to me.

"Kuroba!"

Mouri-sensei. _Yikes! Lunch break must be over already._

"Konnichiwa sensei," I greeted, seemingly unaffected with him catching me.

He raised his eyebrow at me, trying to look menacing. It failed, miserably. "What do you think you're doing here?"

"Supervising the neighboring classes?" I tried to pass it off as a cute guess. The girls laughed silently.

He glared at me. "Very funny, Kuroba. Now get your ass out of here."

I gave him a mock salute. "Roger, sensei. My ass is up and moving."

When I taunted the teacher, I took one glance at the transfer student. The expression on her face depicted only two things. Boredom, and apathy.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

And that's pretty much how it all started. That fateful meeting during that fateful lunch break. Though it really didn't seem like much. At that time, I just considered her another target. Another girl to add to my list of 'girls I've gone out with' that I hadn't updated in the last three months.

Kudo was acting weird, even then. But I didn't pay much attention, as you could all see. I just dismissed it as 'my imagination.' Well, if I _had_ paid attention, things probably would've turned out differently, but at this point in time, who knows? 'What if's' can't really change much.

Sigh... Well, that's it for now. I'll tell you what happens after that but... Let's save it for later, okay?

Yours truly, ~Kuroba Kaito~


	2. The New Transfer Student

**Chapter 2: The New Transfer Student**

Call me Shinichi. Kudo Shinichi.

Pretty much everyone used to call me slow. Not physically of course. I _am _a soccer star after all. Slow in the mind. I guess that's the impression I give them, because my reaction speed's not that fast. I think first before doing anything. It takes up a lot of time, though.

Did you notice the 'used to'? That's because I've changed. A lot has happened. I'm not sure where to start... so I'll tell you all about it. It all began that morning, the day the new transfer student came.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I walked to school, kicking a soccer ball. I was alone. At the moment, anyway. I'll have company later on, when I meet up with Kaito, my closest friend, on the next intersection.

Kaito's na- What? You already know him? Hmmm... Doesn't matter. I'll tell you about him anyway.

Full name: Kuroba Kaito. Gender: Male. Status: Single (for now). He's pretty much gone out with every girl in school. Though he dumped them the next day, mercilessly you could say. He's never dated a girl for more than a day and if you passed the 24 hour time limit, you'd be considered a legend.

At first, I was against this 'hobby' of his, but as time went on, I got used to it. And I also noticed this; Kaito wasn't serious with the girls he went out with, and likewise, the girls weren't serious with him. Everything they felt for each other was mere mutual physical attraction, and even the 'mutual' part's not very common in Kaito's case.

Anyway, there he was, leaning against a pole near the corner. I kicked the ball in his direction, trying to catch him in surprise before calling out, "Ohayou."

He raised his hand in greeting. "Yo," he said, expertly receiving the ball and kicking it back to me.

I caught it with my hands, stopping just in front of him. I looked at the black and white hexagons of the ball and blinked. "You know Kaito, you would've made a great midfielder if you joined the soccer team."

We started walking. He grinned at me, that trademark grin that makes half the people at school faint, including girls, gays and teachers. "Soccer's _your_ stage, Kudo. Track's mine. By the way, have you heard? There's gonna be a new transfer student." He turned to me grinning. "Tell me she's hot. _Please_ tell me she's hot."

I stared at the ball for a moment, thinking of what to say next. Then I threw it in the air, keeping it up with my head. "Rumors say it's gonna be some guy from a rich family."

"What!?" he exclaimed in disgust. "Damn... I was kinda wishing for a new target," he sighed.

I smiled chidingly. "Kai-" was all I got out. We had reached the school gates and Kaito's ever-loyal fans were waiting for him.

"It's Kaito-sama!" shouted one of them.

"Kaito-sama? Where!?" chorused the others.

"There!" she said, pointing to us.

"Kyaa! It's really Kaito-sama!" they squealed, spotting him.

They stampeded towards us. Kaito and I looked at each other, grinned and shrugged. I stepped away, leaving him with his fanclub. He didn't mind, it was always like that. Everyday, without fail. We get to school, the fanclub spots us, I go away, he entertains them. I was used to it. It was almost like routine.

Envious? Me? Do you want me to be?

I'm not interested in stuff like that. I'm all pretty much mystery and soccer. But... Just for the record, I also have my own fanclub. They're the group beside Kaito's. Day after day, they wait for me to come to school, smile in delight when I appear but keep their distance. Well, everyone thinks I'm absent-minded anyway, so I ignore them, acting as if I didn't know they existed.

Why? I dunno... I guess I just wouldn't know what to do... I'm not like Kaito anyway.

So I walked to my classroom, alone. Mostly everyone I passed by would stop to turn and look at me. That's what usually happens when they see a soccer star.

Sitting down on my chair, I looked outside, a desk separating the window from me. The seat beside me was empty. An empty seat huh? Since Toyama-san's (2-2), Hattori's (2-3) and Kaito's (2-5) classrooms have no empty seats, there's a fifty percent chance this is where the transfer student would be. _I hope he doesn't bother me too much._

After about seven minutes of staring at the window, the class representative, Hondou Eisuke came running in while shouting "Big news, everybody! Big news! The transfer student is a girl!"

When I first heard that, my first thought was, _Kaito's gonna kill me for this._

I know. Stupid, right? It's not like I was really to blame for telling Kaito that the tenkousei (transfer student) was a guy. That's what the rumors said, not me. I just relayed to him what everybody else thought. I soon forgot that, though, when the teacher stepped in, the new student a few steps behind him.

When I first saw her, my mind went blank. Seriously. I couldn't think of anything. And, I'm kinda ashamed to admit this but… I stared at her. Unabashedly stared at her. Looking-at-her-with-wide-eyes-without-even-bothering-to-act-like-you-aren't stared at her.

That was the first time in years I've done something like that. The only times I did something like that was when I got a first edition copy of Sherlock Holmes for my birthday, twelve years ago, and when I first watched a soccer game, back when I was four.

I guess that was the sign that I would be-

"She originally lived in Japan, but due to certain circumstances, they moved to America. And now, she's come back to Japan so make her feel at home," the teacher announced. "Her name's Miyano Shiho."

_Miyano... Shiho... _The name was foreign to me. I've never heard it before, yet somehow... It was familiar. I don't know how, I don't know why. All I knew was the warm feeling I got as I heard her name.

"Okay, Miyano-san. You sit beside..." Mouri-sensei looked for an empty seat. "Kudo-kun. He's the guy at the back row who looks like he'd rather be at the field than in class."

That was the last thing I wanted to do at that moment. By then, I _had_ managed to force my gaze away from her and to the window. But it was taking a lot of effort. What I really wanted was to look at her, and keep looking for God knows how long. I wanted to know the reason why she made my mind blank, why she felt familiar.

"Kudo," sensei said, addressing me, "It's your responsibility to show her around school."

I didn't answer. I never did. Sensei didn't mind. He never did. All that mattered to him was that he told me what to do. If anybody complained, he can just bite me afterwards.

With how my head was turned, I couldn't see her clearly. But I could hear her footsteps. I waited, and she finally came into view, her seat being the one between mine and the window.

She didn't say anything. I didn't either. Neither did anybody else. They were all waiting to see what would happen between us. We disappointed them. Nothing happened.

Classes came and went. Just like usual. I didn't pay attention. Just like usual. Instead, I focused on the girl beside me, trying to figure out what was so special about her. Finally, lunch break came around.

"So..." I said, in an attempt to start a conversation, "Would you like me to show you around school?" _I hope she doesn't know her way around school already._

She didn't look at me. "No."

That's all she answered. 'No.' Just that one little word. But... This might seem weird to you but from that one word, I got a funny feeling inside. Like when I heard her name, but this time, familiarity wasn't what came with it.

I frowned, disappointed. _Wait... Disappointed? Why should I be? It's not like she... _I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. I took a sports mag from my bag and started to read, the fourth best way to help me think.

I was half-way through sorting out my feelings when Kaito opened the door.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Okay, that's it for today. Was it a cliffhanger? Haha. Don't worry, it won't be long before I tell you the next part. For now... Just wait, okay?

signed, ~Kudo Shinichi~


	3. Encounter With the Two

**Chapter 3: Encounter With the Two**

Shiho. Miyano Shiho.

Or perhaps you'd prefer to call me Sherry. That's the name I hid behind, the name I used when I was still studying in America.

I was a loner, even then. And moving to Japan, I knew that transferring wouldn't change a thing. If my schoolmates from before shunned me because I was too Asian, then the people here would probably see me as too British. I didn't mind. I've already accepted the fact that I have no place to belong to.

At least, that's what I thought. But now, I have somewhere I belong. Somewhere I could call home. And this time, when I think of home, my sister isn't the only person who comes to mind.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

My first encounter with the two people who greatly affected my life happened on my first day in Teitan High. I stepped inside the classroom, trailing behind my new homeroom teacher. The noise, which you could've heard a mile away, instantly receded, and turned into a silence as intense as their gaze on me.

"She originally lived in Japan, but due to certain circumstances, they moved to America. And now, she's come back to Japan so make her feel at home," Kogorou Mouri-sensei declared, gesturing to me. "Her name's Miyano Shiho."

"Okay, Miyano-san. You sit beside..." Sensei's eyes scanned the room for an empty seat. "Kudo-kun. He's the guy at the back row who looks like he'd rather be at the field than in class."

I looked around the room and located this 'Kudo-kun.' He was the only one paying attention to anything but me at that moment. I walked towards him, my steps echoing in the otherwise silent room.

_Kudo... _He was staring at me with the same degree of intensity as the rest of the class just a few moments ago. Maybe even more. Yet now, he was staring out the window, looking as if he couldn't be bothered with whatever the teacher was saying.

"Kudo," the teacher said, "It's your responsibility to show her around school."

I reached my destination, settling down beside him. I didn't say anything to him. Instead, I waited for him the to be the one to make the first move. I wasn't the type of person to waste my effort trying to be friendly with a complete stranger. Not that I would've been with someone I knew, either.

Silence.

You could've heard a pin drop, and the tension was almost cackling the air. No, the tension did not come from me and this Kudo guy. It came from our classmates who were waiting for something, anything between the two of us. Unfortunately for them, nothing happened.

Classes.

Everything they taught was elementary for me. The subjects I had back in America were harder than the ones here in Japan. It wasn't a surprise for me. I knew long ago that America strove for individuality while Japan for equality.

I was bored out of my mind. I didn't even try to hide it. You could see the teachers' eyes shooting daggers, but they didn't scold me, so I figured they chose to overlook it since I was new.

Lunch break.

I didn't bring food on purpose. No, I wasn't on a diet, I just didn't feel like eating while strangers surrounded me. It was like that, too, for a whole week ten years ago, so I didn't bother.

"So... Would you like me to show you around school?"

A voice interrupted my stillness, but I just looked out the window, not surprised with Kudo's offer. I had expected him to ask. There was something about him that seemed different from the rest. But no matter how curious I might be, I didn't feel like entertaining a short-term, so-called 'friendship'.

"No."

I couldn't see his face, but I suppose he would be frowning, annoyed by my rejection. The next minute, I heard the sound of a page turning. _Maybe he doesn't really care much... _I thought, doubting that he really did frown. _But then... Why did he stare at me like that..? Or was it just me?_

Suddenly, I heard the sound of the door opening. Through the reflection in the glass, I saw a student carrying two bentos, looking a lot like Kudo. The only physical difference between them was that his hair was mussed up. Other than that, the only other thing I noticed was that this one seemed more... confident, to put it nicely.

He looked around, his face lighting up as his eyes locked on my seatmate. He took one step and stopped. I noted this sudden action and noticed; he was gawking at me.

_Oh great... Probably another playboy who dates for the sake of dating... And from the look in his eyes-_

"Yo, Kudo!"

The teenager beside me didn't respond, made no indication he had heard the call. By now, his look-alike was standing in front of him. After a few seconds, he reached out and snapped the magazine shut.

Kudo blinked at the magazine a few times before looking up. _Is he absent-minded? No... That not the impression I get from him..._

"Yo, Kaito," he said, smiling. I decided to focus on their conversation, telling myself that I have nothing better to do.

"Don't 'yo Kaito' me." His best friend grinned fondly at him. At least, I assumed they were best friends. From the way they greeted each other, that's what I concluded their relationship was. "Mind to introduce me to your new seatmate, Kudo?"

"Okay," he replied.

I could see the faint surprise registered in Kaito's face. _What is he surprised about?_

"Kaito, this is Miyano Shiho. She's a transfer student."

"So I heard," he said, the surprise disappearing. He smiled at me, the rest of the class practically falling to their knees. "Nice to meet you, Shiho."

With our seating arrangement, I couldn't see Kudo's face in the reflection, but this time, I was sure he frowned. "You know her, Kaito?"

"I do now. How could I know her when I asked you to introduce me?" He seemed amused.

"That's what I was wondering about." A questioning tone entered his voice. "Then why did you call Miyano-san Shiho?"

"Is there a rule saying I can't?" He raised an eyebrow, looking almost challenging.

"Well... Not that there is but..." he said haltingly. _From the way Kaito's acting, I think he sees Kudo's behavior as odd. Does he usually not say things like that?_

He didn't wait for Kudo to continue. "If it bothers you so much, I'll call her 'Miyano-san,'" he said. "Well, until she asks me to call her 'Shiho' at least.

"W-well have you shown her around school yet? Since you're her seatmate I suppose Mouri-sensei would've asked you to do it," he continued after a slight pause.

"The thing is, Miyano-san said she already knows her way around the school so there was no need." That got my attention, made me wide-eyed in surprise. _I haven't said anything to him other than no. I never told him I memorized the school's layout._ _Does he know? Or did he just lie?_

"-at so..." I didn't hear everything Kaito said, but judging from the annoyed look on his face, he was not happy. He quickly wiped it off, though, probably not wanting to scar his reputation."Ne, Miyano-san, won't you even look at me?"

I chose to ignore him. Even if my attention _had _been on them, I still didn't want someone like him hanging around me. Yes, I knew I shouldn't judge people easily, but I had a bad feeling about Kudo's look-alike.

"Kuroba!"

Not flinching, he turned to the teacher while grinning and said, "Konnichiwa sensei."

He tried intimidating Kaito. A pointless act since it had no effect. "What do you think you're doing here?"

"Supervising the neighboring classes?"

Sensei's eyes narrowed into slits. "Very funny, Kuroba. Now get your ass out of here."

He saluted mockingly. "Roger, sensei. My ass is up and moving."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

If you haven't guessed, Kaito and Kudo were the two people who changed my life. Though at that time, Kaito was just another annoying guy I chose to avoid and Kudo's significance hadn't occured to me yet. But now...

And that's all I'm telling for now. If you want to find out what happens next, then you're free to stick around. I'm not forcing you into anything.

~Miyano Sherry~


	4. The Secrets of Her Past Part 1

**Chapter 4: The Secrets of Her Past (Part 1)**

Hey, it's me again. Kuroba Kaito. Remember me? I hope you still do, since I consider myself unforgettable.

I already told you about our first meeting right? With that girl named Miyano Shiho. She was cold to me and, well, at the time, I really thought I could defrost her with a few sweet words. Some good that did.

Anyway, here's what happened later that day. I'll skip the classes, since you probably won't be interested about that. I know **I**'m not.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Sensei," I called out, raising my right hand, the other massaging my temple.

My English teacher looked up from her notes. "Nan desu ka~ (what is it), Kaito-kun?" she asked, in her broken Japanese.

I put on a pitiful expression on my face. "Jodie-sensei," I said in a pained voice, "My stomach hurts."

"You are feeling unwell~? Would you like to go to the infirmary~?" she asked, looking concerned. I mentally gave myself a clap on the back for my great acting skills as I nodded, looking like the pain was gonna kill me. She wrote out an excuse slip and handed it to me. I opened the door and was about to walk out when she said, "Oh, and Kaito-kun?"

"Hai?" I turned my head to look at her.

She gave me a wink. "You hold your stomach when you have a stomachache, okay~?"

I smiled at her. "Yokai. (Roger)" I gave her a small salute, and then switched my hands from my forehead to my stomach.

I closed the door behind me, and I stuck my hand inside my pocket, probing for the piece of paper which contained Kudo's schedule. I took it out and scanned the page. _Social Studies..__. Chemistry... Phys. Ed! Perfect!_

I grinned to myself. _Boys and girls have separate classes so I won't have to worry about Kudo._

That made me stop. Standing alone in the empty corridor, I frowned at my reflection in the window. _Why am I thinking about Kudo? He's never been interested in anyone before. Why start now? And it's not like he'll be a bother to me anyway. I can easily outdo him… Can't I?_

I shook my head. _What is wrong with me? It's just Kudo. __**Kudo **__for God's sake. He's __**not **__a problem. So why am I-_

I clapped my hands on my cheeks. Hard. That managed to snap me out of my current string of thoughts. The ring of the dismissal bell reminded me to get to my destination.

I headed for the girl's locker room. As I reached it, I heard female voices through the door, telling me that they were changing. Not wanting to be surrounded by my admirers when I charm my new target, I hid behind the stairs, sure that she would pass through.

As the new student, she'd either be the first or the last to come out, that's what I deduced. So I waited. The first girl to get out was my 25th girlfriend. Or was it 52nd? Not that it matters. It just means my target will be the last one out.

As just about every girl from Teitan High came and went, my patience was getting thin_. It's already been three minutes since the last girl passed by. __**Three**__ whole minutes! How long could it possibly take for a girl to change?_

When I finally saw her, all I wanted to do was storm over and give her a piece of my mind. But I didn't do that, no. If I did, that would ruin all chances of getting her. So I put on a friendly face and left my hiding place.

"Yo."

Her eyes did not even acknowledge my presence as she walked in my direction. "Listen Miyano-san," I said, doing my usual trick. I snapped my finger, a rose suddenly being held between my forefinger and my thumb. I offered it to her saying, "I'm not sure what kind of start we had, but maybe we could start over?"

She walked past me, making me feel completely ignored. I gritted my teeth and caught up. I stopped right in front her, blocking her path. "Miyano-san."

I would've called her Shiho, but I try to keep my promises when possible.

"What do you want?" she asked. Her velvety voice rang through the silent corridor, carrying a harsh tone with it. Somehow, it matched her cold exterior.

I leaned my face closer to hers.

"Normally I won't even care, but with you, it's different," I told her in a soft voice, staring deep into her blue-green, impenetrable eyes. For a second, an emotion I wasn't able to identify flickered there, but it disappeared so quickly, it made me wonder if I even saw it at all.

The stare that immediately followed rooted me to the floor, effectively paralyzing me. It was a look of... No, not rage. Not hate. Not any emotion I've ever seen on an angry girl. It was a look of indescribable emotion that made time stop. For me anyway.

When I came to my senses, she had turned the corner and disappeared from sight. I instantly ran after her, but by the time I got there, she had disappeared. I followed the corridor, but she wasn't anywhere. It was like she had vanished into thin air.

"Damn…" I banged my fist lightly on the wall. "What is wrong with that woman?"

I gritted my teeth. Then bit my lip. Then smirked_. I'm not gonna back down Shiho, no matter what you do._

Deciding that I wouldn't be able to accomplish anything else, I made up my mind to know more about her. First things first, I gotta talk to the girl information center of Teitan High.

"Hondou-kun," I addressed the bespectacled shounen (boy) sitting at the first row of 2-1's classroom, a laptop on his desk.

"H-H-Hai!" At my voice, he immediately stood up, his arms stiffly at his sides. Now, it might seem like he's afraid of me, but believe me, he's not. Not really. As you all know, I'm popular. The most popular guy at school. And since I talk to him, that boosts his reputation so he's gotta be careful with what he says around me.

I gestured for him to sit down as I settled myself on the seat beside him. "What do you have on that new girl?"

He sat down and at the mention of 'new girl' his face brightened. "You mean Miyano Shiho-san?"

"Duh. Who else could it possibly be?"

"Well… Miyano Shiho… Miyano… Miyano…" he murmured as his fingers raced over the letter keys. "Atta! (Here it is!)"

His gaze shifted from the screen to me. "Actually, my research networks told me that it would be a guy. A kid from a rich family so I didn't try to look too closely into it. I was surprised when I heard that the transferee was a girl. But during lunch, I was able to get most of her personal information."

He adjusted his glasses as he read them out loud. "Her name's Miyano Shiho. Her parents are Miyano Atsushi and Elena." He looked up at me. "It seems she's a half. Her mother was British."

_No wonder she has those looks..._

He continued reading. "She has a sister, Miyano Akemi. But from what I can tell, they don't look alike. I believe her sister takes after her father while she takes after her mother. As for her past school, she transferred here from America but I wasn't able to get exactly which school she came from. Ummm…"

He frowned. "Now, her profile gets kinda sketchy. I believe she used to live in Japan, but she and her sister moved to America to live with their relatives when their parents died in some sort of accident. They lived there for six years. Now, for reasons unknown, they came back to Japan."

_Hmmmm... So her parents are dead? I could-_

He looked up at me, apologetic. "Sorry, but that's pretty much all the information I have on her. I don't have her attitude, likes and dislikes yet. Ummm… Based on feedback I got from our classmates, and my own personal observations, she appears to be cold and hasn't talked to anyone yet. Except Kudo. That's pretty much it."

He switched off his laptop and closed it. "I don't have her address, either. They just moved here yesterday so the school's database doesn't have it yet. I'll check it out later, or do you want me to-"

I cut him off saying "No need, Houndou. That's good enough." I didn't want him stalking her. That would be too obvious. "Just tell me her address when you have it."

"H-Hai…" he said, relief on his face. That was probably because the last time a new girl came, he had gotten suspended for a week for stalking her. He never told the teachers he was doing it for 'information' or for me. He wouldn't dare. Not if he didn't want to his social standing going down the drain.

"Kaito?"

My head snapped up. "Kudo? What are you doing here?"

He cocked his head in confusion. "It's already five Kaito. Practice is over."

_Oh God... I forgot track practice... _I shrugged it off. _Oh well, who cares? I've got better things to do._

I put back on the smile on my face, hiding the plans I was making. "So Kudo... Let's go home?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Well, that's it. But I surprise myself. Even that time, I was already aware of Kudo's... strangeness. Do I have the makings of a detective? Yeah right.

And about Shiho's past... I thought about using it to make her closer to me, but I had to be careful to keep it a secret from her. Otherwise, she'd think I was looking into her. Not a good thing when you're trying to get close to a girl. You have to have her open up to you. In other words, you can't know things she didn't tell you. She'd close up if she knew you knew.

Alright, enough with the advice. I gotta go now. As for what happens next...

The one and only, ~Kuroba Kaito~


	5. Real Hallucinations

**Chapter 5: Real Hallucinations**

Kudo Shinichi's back!

Did I keep you waiting? Sorry 'bout that. A lot has happened, and I had to think about it first before saying anything.

Anyway, where were we again? Oh yeah... And so Kaito opened the door.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Yo, Kudo!"

I didn't respond immediately. I considered first how to react to him before doing so. _It's Kaito. He'll surely want me to introduce Miyano-san to him... But if I do it right away, he'll be able to tell something's wrong so-_

The sports magazine I was holding suddenly flapped shut. I knew thinking time was up so I decided on the safest course of action: Let Kaito lead the conversation.

I blinked a bit at the magazine before looking up and smiling. "Yo, Kaito."

"Don't 'yo Kaito' me. Mind to introduce me to your new seatmate, Kudo?"

_Damn, he's fast._ I knew he'd want to make a move right away, but I thought he'd want to chat a bit before doing that. Still, I had no choice but to comply. "Okay," I replied.

"Kaito, this is Miyano Shiho." I said, gesturing towards the reddish-brown haired girl beside me. "She's a transfer student."

"So I heard." He turned on his best grin, the one he used to melt the student council president. "Nice to meet you, Shiho."

_I don't like him calling her Shiho, but if I say that outright, he'll notice... _I just frowned at him and asked, "You know her, Kaito?"

"I do now." He gave me a ridiculing look. "How could I know her when I asked you to introduce me?"

I cocked my head to the side to emphasize my confusion. "That's what I was wondering about. Then why did you call Miyano-san Shiho?"

"Is there a rule saying I can't?" he retorted.

_He's got me there..._ "Well... Not that there is but..." _What else can I say? Any more and he'll probably-_

"If it bothers you so much, I'll call her 'Miyano-san.'" I looked up, hiding the shock I felt. That was the first time Kaito ever turned away anything that could help him get a girl. My shock only lasted until he added, "Well, until she asks me to call her 'Shiho' at least.

_So that's the catch. He probably thinks she'll fall for him in no time._

"W-well um-have you shown her around school yet?" _Did Kaito just stutter?_ "Since you're her seatmate I suppose Mouri-sensei would've asked you to do it." I looked at him more closely._ Nah... Maybe not... Why should he?_

"The thing is," I answered, trying to hide my disappointment. "Miyano-san said she already knows her way around the school so there was no need."

"Is that so..." he said, shifting his gaze to the girl beside me. "Ne, Miyano-san, won't you even look at me?"

She didn't reply, and a slight irritation etched Kaito's face. But in just a few seconds, it turned into that confident, amused smile he always wore. _What is he thinking?_

"Kuroba!" I looked at the doorway and there was Mouri-sensei, a glare on his face. Needless to say, the male teachers were not very fond of Kaito. But his grades were good and like a phantom thief, he never gets caught so there's nothing they could do about him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Last class. Phys. Ed.

Our class was heading to the locker rooms and I noticed that Miyano-san was lagging behind. I slowed down and matched my pace with hers. "So, Miyano-san... How do you find Teitan High so far?" I asked, trying to start a conversation.

She was bored, that much was obvious. Either that, or she wanted to look like she was bored. If she did, she was succeeding. She shot me a slight glance before replying, "So-so."

"Uhm... Do you like it?" I ventured.

The slight glance she gave me turned into a bored expression. "It's fine."

I wanted to know more about her, but she kept answering in bisyllables (Is there such a word?). I was about to ask another question, but Nakamichi, the soccer team's midfielder from class 2-3 spotted me and called out, "Oi, Kudo!"

I remembered that 2-3's last class was Music, which was in the same direction as the locker rooms. _Damn... Now I'm gonna have to talk to him._

I hid a wince and put on a smile, "Yo, Nakamichi. How're you doing?"

He laughed out loud and clapped me on the back. "I'm all spirits Kudo! Gotta do my best for practice, don't want the coach yelling at me again!"

The smile I had turned real as I envisioned him doing an overhead, which usually ends up with the ball hitting his head. "That's because you keep trying overheads. It would've been okay if you actually do it properly."

He let out another laugh. "Hey, it's not my fault my head's magnetic!" he said with mock outrage.

"Oi Nakamichi!" cried a guy from his class. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Eh?" Nakamichi looked back and saw that he had already passed the music room. "Ah! Ja, Kudo, see you at practice!" he shouted, running off.

I was grinning fondly at his retreating back, when I heard a small chuckle. My eyes widened in surprise as I saw a small smile on the lips of what used to be an emotionless face.

She noticed me staring and faked a cough. I knew it was fake, she was just doing it to hide her smile and chuckle. "Miyano-san?"

Before she looked away, I saw a faint blush on her cheeks. "I-I couldn't help it. Just thinking of the soccer ball hitting him on the head, I..."

_She knows what an overhead is?_

"Then-" I was cut off by the calls from the guys in my class. I looked up and noticed that we had already reached the intersection where the boys and girls parted. I couldn't just follow her, could I? So I backed off with a small nod and headed off to the boy's locker room.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Soccer practice.

Me and my classmates who were also part of the soccer club didn't bother changing out of out PE clothes. Right after class was over, we ran right to the field.

Coach was already tapping his foot impatiently when we got there. Have I told you who our coach is? No? Well then, guess who? It's... the one and only... Mouri Kogoro! Yup, my homeroom teacher. Somehow, I get the feeling that he even requested to be 2-1's adviser, just because I was there.

Starting my middle school years, he was always in the audience during my games. Then, when I entered high school, he even barged in on the principal's speech just to call me off the crowd. Well, ever since then, we won every game we've played, but I refused to acknowledge all the attention. Being a teacher's pet and a coach's favorite isn't exactly a good thing, especially if you don't want arguments in a team.

I guess that was one of the reasons why I acted absent-minded. Instead of having to fend off all the compliments or complaints (whatever they give you), you can just seem like you don't notice them at all. And I think... that's a good thing.

Anyway, being the first there, my classmates warmed up and ran around the field playing a mini-game of soccer. I got my own ball and played keep-up. That was the best way for me to think, fooling around with a soccer ball. And at that time, I really needed to think.

I vaguely remember the coach shouting, kicking my own ball away and joining the others on the field for what I think was a practice match. But somehow, my thoughts were trained on Miyano-san, and I couldn't get my head in the game.

Somewhere along the way, I think I started hallucinating. Because in the corner of my eye, I could see a figure by the side of the field, a figure that looked a lot like the girl in my mind.

I stopped in my tracks, glanced at that figure, and saw that she was exactly who I thought she was. Our gazes met, and at that moment, something passed between us. What it was I had no idea, neither did I have the time to think about it , because a ball suddenly came out of nowhere (or so it seemed), and with it a call that said, "Go for it Kudo! Shoot!"

My soccer instincts came alive with those words, my senses sharpened as I ran for the opponent's goal, nimbly avoiding the players who tried a steal. When I was close enough, I took a shot, the ball just slipping past the goalie's fingers.

The coach's shrill whistle filled the air, and I tried to catch my breath as my my teammates patted me on the back. I smiled back at their 'Good job!'s and 'Keep it up!'s when I remembered.

I whirled around, staring at the space where she used to be, but she wasn't there. I ran to that spot, ignoring the questioning gazes, and looked around. But I knew it was futile, the place where we were, if anything, was a field. Where could she possibly have hid? _She was never here... It must have been my imagination. I'm thinking about her too much. _

My shoulders drooped with disappointment, and I was about to walk away when I noticed something on the ground. Peering closer, I noted that the grass there was flattened, as if someone had just been standing there for an amount of time. _Nobody comes to watch practice during Mondays, they don't want the coach yelling at them so... Could it be...?_

"Kudo! What the hell do you think you're doing there!? Get back here!"

I was reluctant to follow the coach's orders, the first time in a few years. But I knew I had to go. After all, what could a guy possibly find interesting in grass? So I went back and joined the team in a round of drills, glancing at that spot every now and then.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

With practice over, I changed into my school clothes in the locker room and headed for my classroom. I opened the door, and was surprised to find a certain someone there.

"Kaito?"

The thoughtful expression he had snapped to attention. He looked up, saw me and asked, "Kudo? What are you doing here?"

I noticed that he had been talking to Hondou Eisuke, what he calls the 'girl information center'. _Is he looking into Miyano-san's... _In response to his question, I just cocked my head to the side saying, "It's already five Kaito. Practice is over."

For a second, there was a worried look on his face. _Did he forget track practice... because of her? _But it quickly turned into a grin as he said, "So Kudo... Let's go home?"

I gave a small, confused smile in return as I walked towards my seat. I started arranging my things and replied, "Sure, but... where's your bag?"

"Eh?" He inspected his hands, puzzled, before laughing in embarrassment. "I guess it's still in my classroom. I'll go get it. Wait for me by the entrance, okay, Kudo?"

He ran off, and I was left with Eisuke in that room. "Ne, Hondou-kun..." I started, not wanting to ask, but needing to know. "What did Kaito want?"

"Oh, Kuroba-kun? He was asking about that new transfer student," he answered, placing his laptop back in his bag. "She's your seatmate, right, Kudo-kun?" With a small laugh, he said, "I want to tell you you're lucky, but I don't know if you are." He stood up, carrying his bag. "Ja, mata ashita. (Then, see you tomorrow.)"

"Mata," I replied. He left, and when I was able to stuff my books in my backpack, I too left the room. Before I headed for the entrance, I stopped by my locker for my ball.

Kaito was already there when I arrived. "Oi, Kudo, what took you so long?" he complained.

"I didn't take long Kaito. You were just fast, that's all."

He gave me a dry look as we started walking. "That still makes it seem like you were slow, Kudo. Seriously, who would've thought Teitan's soccer star was such a slowpoke?"

I kicked the ball once, twice before replying. "Hey, I'm not the one who ran one hundred meters in ten seconds."

It was our usual banter. I didn't even have to think to answer. We even had a routine for it. Kick-kick-talk-Kaito, kick-kick-talk-Kaito. But Kaito broke the routine this time; he didn't respond.

I took a look at him, and he had the same thoughtful expression, if not more thoughtful this time. I decided to drop the conversation, and give him time to think about whatever needed thinking.

He didn't speak for the rest of the way home, and when we reached railroad where we usually parted, he still didn't utter a word. I crossed the tracks and turned around to bid him goodbye.

"Ja, Kai-"

"Ne, Kudo."

I stopped, and stood where I was. He was looking down, hiding his face from me and the rest of the world. The warning light started flashing and the bars at the side of the path went down. "What is it?"

He looked up, his expression the most serious I've ever seen. "Su..."

I listened carefully. I could sense that whatever he was gonna say, it was gonna be important.

In a faint whisper, I heard him say, "Suki nano? Miyano-san no koto? (Do you like Miyano-san)"

The train passed, blocking my best friend from view. _Kaito... Does he..?_

Less than a minute passed before I got to see the other side of the road. But Kaito was gone.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

And that's pretty much what happened that day. The incidents with Kaito and Miyano-san, they were complicating my life. If that was a good thing or not, I couldn't tell. Maybe you can help me determine. I'll tell you all about it next time. Well, until then.

~Kudo Shinichi~


	6. Dancing With Fire

**Chapter 6: Dancing With Fire**

Miyano Shiho.

Do you remember my name? If you don't, then I'm reminding you.

Anyway, about that first day in Teitan High, I met two guys. Two people who would probably change my life, in ways even I was unable to comprehend at the time. But now, when I look back on it, I still wonder if I could do so with a smile.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Our second-to-the-last class was over, and as I stared out the window, I became aware of everyone starting to leave the room. I tried to recall the class schedule and remembered that the next class was Physical Education. I waited until the last student was out before I followed.

I kept my pace slow and walked behind the rest of the class. I was content being alone, but I soon felt someone's presence beside me, his steps matching mine.

"So, Miyano-san... How do you find Teitan High so far?"

Kudo. He was my seatmate, the first one to talk to me, and yet, I still didn't know his first name. I didn't want to be the one to bring it up, though. "So-so," I replied.

"Do you like it?" he asked.

Unlike his best friend, I didn't mind talking to him. Which was surprising enough. I never felt comfortable with anyone I've only known for a week before, much less a day. But, I guess I liked keeping up false pretences. I could have acted friendly, I could have warmed up to him, but instead, I just said in a monotone, "It's fine."

He seemed dissatisfied with my answers. I could see that he was about to ask another question when someone shouted, "Oi, Kudo!"

He welcomed the change of topic. He easily forgot about me and smiled at the newcomer. "Yo, Nakamichi. How're you doing?" he said. Somehow, I was disappointed.

The student named Nakamichi laughed as he approached Kudo. "I'm all spirits Kudo! Gotta do my best for practice, don't want the coach yelling at me again!"

_Coach? Is Kudo part of a team or something?_

Kudo's smile widened as he said, "That's because you keep trying overheads. It would've been okay if you actually do it properly."

_Overheads? _An image of the guy upside down with a kicking a ball towards his head entered my mind. I couldn't suppress the small chuckle that escaped my lips. That's when I noticed Kudo staring.

I noted that the Nakamichi person was gone as I automatically tried to hide my chuckle with a cough. But I could tell that he saw through it. "Miyano-san?" he said questioningly, as if asking me to explain.

I looked away, trying to hide the red that was spreading on my cheeks. I fiddled around for an excuse. Unable to think of one, I decided to just tell him a bit of the truth. "I-I couldn't help it. Just thinking of the soccer ball hitting him on the head, I..."

"Then-" he started, but was cut off by the calls from our classmates. I could see the boys and girls going in different directions. Though he seemed reluctant to leave, he nodded at me and ran off in the direction of the boy's locker.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

We changed into our PE clothes and entered the gym, which was connected to the locker rooms. My classmates, and students from other classes, sat down on the floor in rows so I did the same.

I drew circles on the floor with my fingers, bored. At least, I hoped it seemed that way. I only dropped the 'bored façade' when I noticed that the chattering had died down. I looked up and saw who I presumed was the teacher, a woman in her early twenties, looking charming even in sweats.

The sensei for this class was… different. I can't describe it, it's just a feeling I had. With her long dark brown locks, big blue orbs, and long, long legs, she could be called beautiful, for a teacher. Through her looks, the one thing that stood out the most was her eyes. They shined, a sparkle that comes from someone who does what she loves.

"Hm? I think I see a new face. Would you please stand up, tenkosei-san (transfer student)?" she said, in a cheerful, lilting voice.

Everyone's eyes turned to me as I followed her order, no, request. The way she said it, there's no way it could've been called an order.

"I heard there was a new student in my father's class. You must be Miyano Shiho-san, yes? I'm Mouri Ran. Hajimemashite (nice to meet you)."

_Mouri Ran… Mouri Kogoro…If she hadn't mentioned it, I never would've guessed. From what I've seen during lunch, the father's hot-headed. The daughter doesn't seem like the type to lose her temper. They don't even look alike. They're a lot like me and onee-chan..._

"Kochi koso (the same here), Mouri-sensei," I replied.

At the words 'Mouri-sensei,' she smiled. "Please, call me Ran-sensei. When I hear Mouri-sensei, I always think it's my father you're referring to."

"Ran-sensei, you wouldn't have that problem if you just married Araide-sensei!" piped up the light-brown haired girl in front of me.

Her cheeks turned pink, then she said through her blush, "Mou, Suzuki-san! Even if I did that, then it would be same thing, except with the Araide surname! Besides, you know I don't think of Araide-sensei that way!"

"Then what was that in the faculty room during lunch?" she sneered.

I silently watched this conversation between teacher and student. Seeing no reason to remain standing, I sat back down.

Ran-sensei's flushed red, but it seems she just chose to playfully ignore the girl named Suzuki-san. "Starting this semester," she announced, the embarrassment in her tone turning to a faint excitement, "We're gonna start a new lesson. No, not just a new lesson. We're gonna learn a wholly different art!"

In a Kansai dialect, a dark-brown haired girl beside Suzuki-san whispered, "It's funny how Ran-sensei keeps calling sports an art."

"Now, before we start, let me tell you something."

"We all know that each and every part of the world has its own language. Japanese, French, Italian, Chinese, lots. "How many people here know Japanese?"

Everybody raised their hands, with the exception of me. It was a stupid question in my opinion. Of course everybody'd know Japanese.

"How about French?"

Several girls awkwardly raised their hands.

"Latin?"

Someone raised hers, before lowering it in haste, seeing that nobody else did.

"Czechoslovakian?"

No one did.

"Well, of course no one would, in this day and age. But if I started speaking in Czechoslovakian, would you understand what I'm saying?"

Heads shook, a 'no' being said here and there.

"See? That's because everyone has a different tongue. But. Even with the different languages in the world, there is a language that everybody understands. One that, wherever you go, you'd be able to communicate with everyone around you. A universal language. Does anyone know what it is?"

The girls looked at each other, asking the one beside them if they knew the answer.

"A universal language?"  
"I only know Japanese and English…"  
"Maybe it's English."

Ran-sensei, hearing this, shook her head and said, "English may be considered the international medium for commercial transactions all over the world, but not everyone knows how to speak English." She looked around the room, looking for someone who looked like she knew the answer.

_A language that everyone knows..? Could it be-_

Our eyes met, and I felt that she saw something in mine, because her smile widened, even just a little bit. "Miyano-san, do you know the answer?"

I hesitated, but something in her voice told me to go ahead and try. "Body language," I stated.

"Exactly.

"It's body language. From the roll of your eyes during boring classes to the sway of your hips when flirting," she said, the class chuckling slightly, "The language that your body speaks is something everyone understands.

"So for this semester, we would learn the art of body language. Who knows what it's called? Yes, Suzuki-san?" Ran-sensei called on the boisterous girl in front of me.

"Dance!" she answered eagerly.

"Right," she confirmed, nodding. "Dance. To be specific, tango. But we're also going to be learning other dances, like the polka, and the swing."

The Kansai-ben (Kansai dialect) shoujo (girl) raised her hand. "But Sensei, isn't tango a dance for two? You don't mean that our partners will be the other girls, do you?"

_Would that be such a bad thing? _Personally, I disliked dancing with the opposite gender. If they weren't clumsy and break your toes every other step, then they'd be trying to ask you out every other minute.

"I agree with Kazuha-chan! Tango is for lovers! What would people think if our lovers were of the same sex!?" cried out Suzuki-san.

"Souyo! (that's right)" agreed the other girls, nodding in agreement.

"I know, I know," replied Ran-sensei, holding her hands up in surrender. "I'm asking Araide-sensei if it's okay to combine the classes of the boys and girls. But," she said, placing her finger on her chin, "I'm not sure if he'll agree."

"Daijoubu! If it's Ran-sensei who asks, there's no way Araide-sensei would refuse!" guaranteed Suzuki-san with a thumbs up and a confident grin.

The pink on her cheeks returned, but she smiled slightly. "I'll ask him," she said, then steered the conversation away from her relationship with this Araide-sensei. "But for now, before I introduce you to the world of tango, let's start with a few stretches."

The class stood up, lining up in neat columns while copying her movements. After a few minutes of warming up, she pushed a button on the sound system and called out, "Okay, everyone, pick a partner, get in the mood for tango and just dance around!"

The Kazuha girl turned to Suzuki-san and said in a low voice, "May I have this dance?" They both cracked up, but the light-brown haired girl took her hand anyway and they started bouncing around. The rest of the class pretty much did the same, each finding their own partner.

For the next half-hour, she was around the gym, trying to teach the right frame to the students who weren't busy laughing their heads off. I stood off to the side, leaned my back against the wall, and watched the smiling faces of my classmates.

"Konnichiwa."

I looked up and saw Ran-sensei. I nodded politely, wondering why she chose to corner me. Now, I know she wasn't cornering me, it didn't even feel like it, but my defenses went up, from habit.

"Why aren't you picking a partner yet? Don't you like dancing?" she asked.

"It's not that I don't but-" _The number of students here is odd. There's no way anybody'll be left to pair up with me._

"Hmmm… Come to think of it," she said, glancing at the class fooling around with their steps, "There are only 43 students. You'd be left with no partner huh?" She looked thoughtful for a second, then regained what I presumed was her trademark, yet genuine, smile and offered, "Do you want to dance with me?"

Without even waiting for my answer, she took my hand and led me to the middle of the gym floor. She held my right hand in hers, putting the other on my left shoulder blade. Unconsciously, I took the role of the follow, placing my left hand midway down her arm.

I was on auto-pilot starting there. As she took with a step backward, my right foot followed, and my steps mirrored hers. I was vaguely aware of the rest of the class quieting down, their stares on us.

I wasn't aware of how much time passed, but the spell she wove broke when the bell rang. Her steps stopped, her hold on me loosening as she blinked at me several times, as if she just realized where she was and what she was doing.

Then, she smiled at me and released her hold, stepping back a bit before yelling, "Alright class dismissed! See you on our next meeting, hopefully, with the boys!"

A moment of complete silence. Everybody else was blinking in the same dazed way sensei was, before the 'Sayonara sensei's echoed in the gym, as they all headed for the locker room. I was about to follow, when I heard sensei's voice.

"Chotto, Miyano-san…"

I turned around and faced her. "Hai?"

"Did you take dancing lessons before?" Her voice had a questioning tone that matched the inquisitive gaze she gave me.

For a moment, I didn't answer and just stared at her. Then I spoke, answering her question with one of mine, "Why do you say so, sensei?"

"Well, I get the feeling that you've done this before," she answered, a little hesitantly.

I turned my heel and walked a few steps before replying, "Maybe I have, maybe I haven't."

Exiting the gym, I was about to enter the locker room when I heard someone say, "-that transfer student, Miyano-san?

Rumors. About me. Same old, same old. Gossips were flying back in my old school, too. I knew that I shouldn't hesitate, that I should enter, and that I just ignore whatever they were saying about me, but somehow, I couldn't. Instead, I froze, standing there in the hall with my hand almost on the door, but not quite.

"I can't believe how much Shinichi-kun pays attention to her!" answered another voice.

_Shinichi-kun. _I didn't know who this Shinichi-kun was, and I don't remember anyone paying me a lot of attention. _Who could this Shinichi-kun be?_

"Yeah, it's sooo weird." I recognized that voice this time. It was from the person named Suzuki-san. "I mean, Kudo-kun's like absent-minded and all, he doesn't even pay attention to me! But now, all of a sudden, he pays attention to the transfer student!? I mean, come on! What does she have that I don't?"

_Shinichi… Kudo?_

"Hey… He can't actually be… interested in her, can he?" asked a voice in Kansai dialect.

"If he is," said Suzuki-san, "then she doesn't know how lucky she is! Even Kaito-kun's approaching her!"

_Kaito-kun..? Oh... Kudo's clone... What's the big deal with him anyway?_

"I mean," she continued, "**I** was the one who even asked Kaito-kun to approach me! Well, I know Kazuha-chan was different, but still-"

"Sonoko!" cried out the Kansai girl who, I presumed, was the Kazuha-chan. "My time with Kuroba-kun... It's..."

_So his name's Kuroba Kaito..._ _I wonder what he did to Kazuha.._.

Suddenly, somebody passed by, and I knew that staying any longer would arouse suspicion. Probably start some new rumors on how my hobbies were eavesdropping on the girl's locker room. Left with no choice, I entered, and all talk stopped.

It was a good thing I opened the door, because Suzuki-san had her hand on the knob and was about to do the same.

"K-Konnichiwa," said Kazuha, an uncertain smile on her lips. The rest of the girls gave me awkward glances as Suzuki-san stared at me, then gave a slight nod and walked off. The others, glanced at each other, then followed.

I stepped inside, and scanned the room. The girls who weren't part of Suzuki-san's group were finished dressing and were also about to leave. I just ignored them, and headed for the shower room.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When I finally exited the locker room, I saw someone waiting in the distance. _Kudo! _I almost smiled at him. Almost. But it's a good thing I didn't. Because that guy wasn't Kudo. It was his doppelganger, Kuroba.

"Yo."

I chose to ignore him, avoiding his eyes. "Listen Miyano-san, I'm not sure what kind of start we had," he said, snapping his fingers and doing a 'magic trick' that he probably thought would impress me. A rose in between his fingers, he asked, "But maybe we could start over?"

I walked past him, paying no heed to his offer. I would've left him behind, but he overtook me and blocked my path.

"What do you want?" I asked, not to him in particular. It was more like I was asking the corridor, not him. I refused to look at his eyes, as that might encourage him.

He leaned his face closer to mine, making it impossible to avoid eye contact. "Normally I won't even care, but with you, it's different," he said in the gentlest voice I have ever heard. No, second gentlest. A voice from my past came back and haunted me.

"_I don't give a damn most of the time, but there's just something special about you." _

I froze, those words echoing in my mind again and again. _No! Not now, not again! Get a grip Shiho! This isn't the time to be reminiscing! Especially not about __**him**__!_

I gathered my composure, turned on my glare at him full force and walked away. He didn't follow, not until I reached the end of that hall. When I turned the corner, I hastened my steps, hurrying to my classroom.

By the time I reached it, I was feeling calmer about my encounter with Kuroba. I picked up my bag, ready to go home, when I recalled the conversation between Kudo and that Nakamichi person.

_Does he have… soccer practice?_

Curiosity getting the better of me, I decided to stop by the soccer field.

Bringing up an image of the school's map in my mind, I found my way to the field. I looked at the people playing, and caught sight of that cowlick tinted brown, kicking a soccer ball by himself. He seemed… distant, as if he wasn't concentrating. Then, the coach blew his whistle, and divided the team into two. He assigned Kudo as forward, that much I was certain, but Kudo didn't seem to be listening.

His body seemed to be moving in auto-pilot, the way I did during dance class. Then, he suddenly looked in my direction. He stopped running, our eyes met. Something told me to shout, call out a 'Do your best!' and cheer for him, when a ball came flying in his direction.

"Go for it Kudo! Shoot!"

His focus switched to the game, dribbling the ball towards the goal while avoiding the players from the opposing team. About a few feet from the net, he kicked the ball, the goalie jumping in vain as he tried to stop it.

When the coach blew his whistle, signaling the end of the practice match, only then did I realize that I was holding my breath. I released it slowly. My curiosity only half-satisfied, I turned my heel and ran for home.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I opened the door, greeted by the warm smell of home. My sister, hearing the click of the door closing, peekd through the doorway of the kitchen. "Okaeri, Shiho! How was your first day?"

I put down my bag, recalled the events of that day, and said with a smile, "It was… interesting."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

And that marks the end of my first day. Interesting, don't you think? Yet, a little unnerving at the same time. I didn't like how similar Kaito was to that guy, and I was uncertain of why I Kudo seemed so familiar to me. But now, everything makes sense. To me that is, not you. I'll clear it up soon enough. Well, if you're willing enough to stay.

~Miyano Shiho~


	7. Fragments of Friendship

**Chapter 7: Fragments of Friendship**

Kuroba Kaito, here once again.

Now, why do I feel like I'm your source entertainment? Well, I guess, my life **is **entertaining.

Anyway, it was still the first day, yet the tension between Kudo and me… Did he feel it? Was I even supposed to feel it? Come to think of it, was it even there at all? My bet is that it was, but maybe my course of action wasn't the best thing I could have done.

So there I was, in Kudo's classroom, saying let's go home, while stupidly forgetting that my bag wasn't with me.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Eh?" I looked at my hands, which held nothing, and remembered that I had left class early and my bag was still in my classroom. "I guess it's still in my classroom. I'll go get it." I laughed at my own foolishness. "Wait for me by the entrance, okay, Kudo?" I said, leaving him with Hondou.

I ran for 2-4's classroom, when someone suddenly came around the corner and bumped into me. With a feminine "Oh!" she fell back and almost landed on her butt. Well, she would've, if I hadn't caught her. "Gomennasai (sorry), Jodie-sensei. Daijoubu (are you okay)?"

I helped her regain her footing, holding on to her hand and lower back. When she said, "Daijoubu desu~ Kega wa arimasen~ (no injuries)," I knew she was alright, so I knelt down on the floor to pick up her notes and purse. She too, dropped to her knees and reached for the pieces of paper scattered on the floor.

Standing up, I helped her once again to her feet and handed her her things. I smiled apologetically. "Seriously, I'm sorry Jodie-sensei. As a sincere sign of my apology, please, accept this," I said, handing her the rose which Shiho had refused to accept earlier.

She didn't reach for the rose and instead, just smirked at me. "Kaito," she started, her tone holding no hint of that awkward Japanese she usually spoke. "You don't really expect me to accept a reject, do you?"

That made me stop, drop my grin, stare at her in surprise. _What?_

"Do you, Kaito-kun?" she repeated.

Looking like a dumb fool, I slowly shook my head, all the while looking at Jodie-sensei with widened eyes. _H-How does __**she**__ know?_

"You seem surprised," she commented, walking past me. I turned around, my eyes following her every step, and just as she was about to disappear from view, she turned around and said, "You better act fast if you don't want a certain soccer player to outdo you."

All I could was stand, stare and wonder, _How the hell could she possibly know?_

The thump of a distant ball snapped me to attention, reminding me that Kudo was heading for the entrance. I held my bag over my shoulder and ran for the other exit, hoping to arrive before that certain soccer player does.

I got to the gates just as Kudo exited the school, his focus on the soccer ball he was kicking. I leaned against the wall and steadied my breathing. "Oi, Kudo, what took you so long?" I shouted, trying to sound as if I've been waiting all this time.

He grinned and replied, "I didn't take long Kaito. You were just fast, that's all."

I matched his pace and rolled my eyes. "That still makes it seem like you were slow, Kudo. Seriously, who would've thought Teitan's soccer star was such a slowpoke?"

Only then did I see just how big of a hypocrite, just how big of a liar I was. I lowered my head in shame of that realization. _Just by acting as if nothing was wrong, I'm already lying to myself, to Kudo. But to tell him the truth, how could I do that when I have no idea what the truth was? And to confront him... Could I really do it? Is there even a need? Is Miyano Shiho even that big a deal? Does he like her? Why the hell would he like her? Even if he did, what does it matter?_

Those thoughts were going through my mind, and I didn't even hear Kudo reply. Hell, I didn't care if he even replied at all.

My feet stopped moving, and only due to muscle memory did I realize that we had reached the railroad that separated our ways. My mind was racing, I knew Kudo would leave. I was torn with the notion of wanting to know and afraid of hearing the answer.

But I panicked, and just as Kudo crossed the tracks, my mouth moved of its own volition.

"Ne, Kudo."

The caution signals started beeping and flashing. The bars at the side of the path blocked the way, making it impossible for Kudo to get to my side of the road.

"What is it?"

Finally, I looked up, wanting to see how Kudo would respond, wanting to know how he would react. "Su..." I started, and hesitated once again. I balled my hands into fists, lowered my voice and tried again, "Suki nano? Miyano-san no koto?"

And then the train came, dividing Kudo's world and mine. It was only for a few seconds, I could've waited. But my will gave up on me, and I couldn't stop my feet from turning, couldn't stop myself from running away.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Taking dejected steps back home, I tried to keep my mind off what I had done. Reaching my house, I unlocked the door and called out 'Tadaima (I'm home)!' No reply came, I didn't expect any.

Even though my father **was** the world-famous magician, Toichi Kuroba, he was dead. Even though we were loaded with the riches he left behind, my mom couldn't bear losing him and was constantly busying herself with work.

Yeah, so you could say I was lonely. That's probably even the reason why I had so many girlfriends. I try not to think about it. Especially since Kudo's my only real friend, and that pretty much every other guy in school hates me.

I climbed the stairs to my room, and threw my bag on the desk. As I lied down on my bed, the events of that afternoon came rushing back to me.

I couldn't believe what I had just done. I ran away, the one thing I promised Kudo I would never do. Yet there I was, doing that exact same thing to that exact same person. I smiled, a bitter smile. A sad, self-pitying smile that hasn't appeared on my face since I met Kudo.

My thoughts went back on that day I met him, on the day I promised I would never run away.

_It was the last day of vacation, the next day would be the start of another school year. Another year of ooh's and aah's from people I don't know, from people who just watch me from the bleachers as an elementary school kid snatches first place from the middle school students._

_Yup, that elementary school kid was me. My father trained me to be the fastest, saying that it was one of my 'strengths' and that it was the one good thing I could do besides magic. No, my father wasn't strict, not much. But well, imagine a whole month of running. Who wouldn't get tired of it?_

_So just as me and my dad arrived at the park, and just as a couple of his fans spotted him and, and just as his attention was turned away from me, I ran away._

_Not towards home, no. He would be sure to find me there. But the park was divided into two, a canvas of trees blocking the view of one to the next. So that's where I headed. But, just as I got there, I heard my father's voice calling for me, a tinge of irritation in his tone._

"_Kaito!"_

_I looked around, and saw a bunch of picnic benches nearby. Hiding under one of the tables, I held my breath and prayed that he wouldn't see me._

_I heard his footsteps, distinguishing them from the others. But instead of getting closer, they were fading away, as if he were going in the direction of home. I let out my breath, and leaned against one of the table legs._

_"What are you doing?"_

_I jumped in surprise, which was something I probably shouldn't have done. Especially considering I was under a table. "Itai (Ouch)!" I cried out as my head came in contact with the 'ceiling.' The boy laughed, and I glared at him, hissing "What's so funny?"_

_He clutched his stomach and said in wheezing breaths, "Y-you sh-should have seen th-the __**look**__ on __**your**__ face!" He continued laughing, and I was getting more and more pissed. Who did this kid think he was, laughing at the son of Toichi Kuroba?_

_Crawling out of my hiding place, I stalked toward the kid, attempting to tower over him. We were about the same height, so standing on my tip-toes did the trick. "You have no right to laugh at me."_

_He stopped laughing for a moment, looked at me in surprise, then started chuckling, covering his mouth with his hand._

_I fumed, my ears turning red. "You're not allowed to laugh!" I shouted._

_"I'm not l-laughing," he said, unable to hide the giggle from his tone._

_"Yes, you are!"_

_Then, his pitch grew higher and higher and his voice was so out of tune, it was the stupidest thing I had ever heard. I couldn't stop the snicker that escaped my lips._

_So we stood there, laughing at each other. Or maybe it wasn't at each other. Maybe we were laughing, just for the heck of it. Who knows? And for that matter, who cares? I was having fun. That's what mattered then._

_Then, he put a hand his chest, and breathed deeply. He seemed to have recovered a bit of his composure, his snickers few decibels lower. He gave me a fond grin, one that suggested we knew each other for a long time. "The name's Shinichi. Kudo Shinichi."_

_Regaining a bit of my dignity, I glared at him in return. But his smile didn't waver, and I grudgingly held out my hand and said, "Kaito... Kuroba Kaito."_

_"Nice to meet you, Kaito," he said, shaking my hand enthusiastically._

_I looked at him through slightly narrowed eyes. "Yeah... whatever, __**Kudo**__," I replied, emphasizing his last name, hinting that we weren't close enough to call each other by our first names._

_He didn't seem to notice or, probably, pretended not to notice. "So, what were you doing there Kaito?"_

_"Why should you care?" I know, I was being mean, but I wasn't used to someone just coming out of nowhere and acting as if we've been friends for years._

_He just nonchalantly replied, "Coz we're friends, isn't it obvious?"_

_I raised an eyebrow at him. "I don't remember asking you to be my friend, Kudo."_

"_Awww, Kaito," he said, lightly clapping me on the shoulder, "There's no need to ask."_

_I raised my palm to swat his hand away, but he already bounded a few steps before I could do so, laughing all the while. He grinned at me from his place five meters away, then gave me the most mocking expression I have ever seen on his face and shouted, "Catch me if you can!"_

_Now, I may have been stupid, acting on impulse and chasing after him, but… it was fun. Normally, running, for me, was a chore, an obligation I wasn't too happy to do. But… Chasing after Kudo... It was different._

_Having the training that I did, I was able to catch up to him. But it seemed like he had some training too, because it took me longer than I usually did to overtake kids my age. Just as I was about to reach out for him, hold on to arm and say 'Caught you!', he had an immediate burst of speed._

_He turned around, running backwards and shouted, "Is that the best you can do?"_

_I smiled, and accepted his challenge. So there we were, running around like a bunch of insane kids. Well, maybe not insane. Maybe we were running around like a bunch of kids being kids._

_It took me a while, but I finally caught up to him. I tackled him to ground, getting dirt on both our faces. Instead of resisting, he just laughed it off. "Wow Kaito, you're fast!"_

_In reply, I grinned at him, the same grin he gave me. The same one that said 'we're best friends.' I got off him, and lay down on the grassy dirt. "Faster than you, of course," I haughtily said, knowing he'd recognize it as a joke._

_He grinned faintly, then a serious expression settled on his face. "Ne, Kaito," he said, "Why were you running away?_

_My eyes widened, and I stared at him in surprise. "I-I… I wasn't running away!" I said, as I molded my face into that of outrage._

_His eye slid over to meet mine, but he didn't utter a word._

_In the silence that settled between us, I couldn't stop the words that came out of my mouth. "I didn't want to run anymore."_

_He still didn't say anything._

"_I never wanted to run anyway! My father was just forcing me to do it!" My voice grew louder. "And what do I get from running anyway!? A bunch of strangers cheering for me? What a joke!"_

_He then turned his head to fully face me. "You mean," he started, his voice almost inaudible, "You don't enjoy running?"_

_I didn't realize that in my outburst, I had managed to climb to my feet. I took a small step back muttering, "I-I-"_

"_You didn't enjoy chasing after me?"_

_I raised my head and glared at him. "Of course I did! Would have I been laughing if I didn't!?"_

"_Then why?"_

"_I-I… Those are two different things! We were playing then! Playing and training are worlds apart!"_

"_I don't think they are."_

_That stopped me. Because, not only did his voice gain volume, he had also stood up, and his tone held a conviction that was alien to me._

"_Kaito, I saw you here, on the first day of vacation."_

_What?_

"_You were with your dad, running."_

_If you saw us, then why didn't say anything?_

"_Kaito, your expression then, and your expression today, were the same. But if you compare it to the one you had yesterday, Kaito, __**that**__'s what I would call worlds apart."_

_What are you talking about?_

"_You seemed like you were being forced."_

_I finally snapped out of my silence. "Who wouldn't be!? My father was practically forcing this training down my throat! I'm sick of it!"_

_Kudo cocked his head to the side and said, "Are you sure about that?"_

"_Who are you to doubt me!?"_

"_You love running."_

"_You are in no position to say that!"_

"_But you're not denying it."_

"…_What do you mean by that…?"_

"_Kaito… Why did you run away from your father earlier?"_

"_Because I don't want to run anymore! I'm sick of it! How many times must I say that?!"_

"_You're sick of what?"_

"_I'm sick of-" running. That's what I was supposed to say. But the words won't come, and all I could do was glare at Kudo as he stood there with a calm expression._

"_See?" he said, a slight smile forming on his face. "Aren't you just running away from your father? Running away from the expectations he placed on you?"_

_Then, he ran, headed for the exit, turned around and said, 'Byebye!' as I stood there, gaping at him. I didn't notice, so much time had passed, and it was already late afternoon. I kicked the pebble by my feet, sending to the cover of the trees._

"_I'm not running away Kudo," was what I was muttering, the whole time I trudged home. "There's no way I'm running away."_

_Now that I think about it, my father might have staged that whole encounter. He didn't get mad at me when I got home, didn't even ask where I went. And the next day, first day of class, Kudo was right there in my classroom, right in the seat next to me._

_He grinned, waved and even greeted me with a 'Yo, Kaito!"_

_I should've been mad at him, really, I should have been. He did say I was running away after all. But, I guess, his smile was contagious, and I couldn't help myself from grinning back, couldn't help myself from saying, "Yo, Kudo."_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

_Kudo's changed a lot since then, huh…_

BEEP! BEEP!

"Wha-what!?" I shouted as I fell from my bed with a thud. "Damn," I muttered to myself as I stood up, and reached for the cellphone that had disturbed my trip to memory lane.

Girl Information Center

That's what was written on the caller ID. _Hondou? I swear if it's nothing important, I'm so gonna rip him to shreds._

I pushed the receive call button. "What do you want?"

"A-Anoooo, Kuroba-kun?" came his paranoid, high-pitched voice. "Did I call at a bad time?" Hondou was always nervous on the phone. He was more composed when we talked one on one.

"Depends on what you got to say," I replied, not bothering to hide my irritation.

"Oh-uhm-oh! I-I-I," he said hesitantly, obviously sensing my bad mood. "I promise it won't be a waste of your time! I-uh-I… I got Miyano-san's home address!"

My irritation immediately disappeared, a small smile appearing on my face. "Great job, Hondou. Where is it?"

"Oh-uhm-oh! It just appeared on the school's database a while ago. I guess somebody updated it…"

_That's not what I meant, idiot._

"She lives around 16 Beika Street, just two blocks away from Kudo-kun's house."

_What? _I couldn't believe it.

"A-a-and Kuroba-kun? I heard from the teachers that there's gonna be a dance."

_A dance?_

"You know how we're gonna combine with the girls in PE? Th-the school'll be holding a dance, something like a prom, t-to 'show off the results' of dance class. I-I dunno when it'll be though, I-I just thought you'd be interested…"

He started stuttering, "S-S-So K-Kuroba-kun? Uhhh… That's all I got to say. J-" beep! He immediately hung up, probably afraid of my silence.

_Kudo lives two blocks away from Shiho. _That night, only one thought crossed my mind. _I gotta act fast._

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Ittekimasu." I whispered to the still silent house. No one was home, so why do I bother? It's not out of habit. Even before, there was no one to say 'ittekimasu' to. I guess… I just…

It was earlier than I usually left home, and the neighbourhood was only starting to wake up. Bag in hand, I made my way to 16 Beika Street.

The night before, I had sent Kudo an SMS saying I couldn't walk to school with him. I didn't tell him why, and I pretended that I never asked that question by the railroad. He replied, only saying an 'ok.'

Anyway, there I was, leaning by the gate of the only house with no nameplate, waiting for the girl with reddish-brown hair.

She finally walked through the door, five minutes later, yet still earlier than I expected. She didn't notice me, and only when she had closed the gate did I tell her of my presence.

"Ohayou."

She froze, her eyes widening a little. Yet that was the only reaction she showed. A second later, she turned that expressionless face to face me, her eyes saying 'What do you want?'

I smiled, already having decided to try the direct method with her. I took a few steps forward, steps that would bring me closer to her. "Ne, Miyano-san," I said, taking her hand.

I brought it closer to my lips, and to my surprise, she didn't resist. But it was obvious she was unwilling. Just as my lips made contact with her slender fingers, she snatched her hand away and would have slapped me, if I hadn't taken hold of her palm.

I grinned, my trademark grin with a little bonus.

"Will you go out with me?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Did she say yes? Do you think she said yes? Maybe she did, maybe she didn't.

Maybe next time, okay? I'll be sure to tell you all about. Here's a clue, her first answer was a question. It wasn't a direct yes or no. Did that help? I don't think so.

'Til next time, ~Kuroba Kaito~


	8. Soccer Connection

**Chapter 8: Soccer Connection**

Hey, it's me. Kudo Shinichi.

I hope you haven't forgotten about me, about Kuroba Kaito, about Miyano Shiho. I hope you haven't forgotten about our story. Especially after all the trouble I went through, writing all of this.

What happened, you ask? Here goes.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Lying down on my bed, staring blankly at nothing, I was thinking of what happened earlier that afternoon, with the confident runner who was supposed to be my best friend.

_Kaito... What made him say that?_

I mean, it was weird for Kaito to ask if I liked her. It wasn't like him to even care. But then, I guess, it was also unusual for me to actually be showing interest as well. But that was only because she seemed so familiar. It wasn't anything more than that… Or so I thought.

_Miyano Shiho... Who is she? Why do I feel like I know he-_

Beep! Beep!

_A message?_

Before I looked at my cellphone, I mentally went through the list of people who had my number. Since there were only my parents, the coach, and a certain somebody, I had no doubts as to who the mystery sender was.

I flipped my phone open, and looked at the message he sent.

I've got business to take care of, so go to school without me. -Kaito

_He's acting like nothing happened..._

It's always like that. Always has been, and always will be. Whenever something happened between us, whether bad or good. We'll fight, go home, then the next day, we'll be the same we were before whatever happened happened.

I was used to it and, to be frank, I preferred it that way. Saying sorry, I probably don't even know how. Neither did Kaito, especially if what we fought about wasn't really of that much importance. If that's the case, them I believe that we should never have fought in the first place.

But there are just times when it can't be avoided. So we fight, and neither of us says sorry, but we're both okay the next day. I guess you could say it's better than those fights where people don't talk to each other for weeks, but it also means we've never experienced apologizing.

Maybe I was relieved. There was no need to swallow my pride and apologize after all. I let out a small sigh, then pushed the buttons to reply to Kaito's message. Can you guess what I said? Being me, I said, "Okay."

Yes, a bit lacking. But I was never one to say much.

I was an idiot then. It never even occurred to me think what Kaito would possibly need to do on an early Tuesday morning.

With a sigh, with my thoughts jumping all over the place, I realized that I wouldn't get much straight thinking that night.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Ittekimasu!"

I shouted this as I ran down the street, racing for school. It always happened, on the days Kaito wouldn't walk with me, I ended up waking up late. Which meant I never got to eat breakfast and had hastily dressed, my tie still crooked.

Somehow, I made it to school in time. Greeting with Mouri-sensei just before he opened the door, him responding me with a rising of the eyebrows, I casually entered the classroom with him.

The girl who had haunted my mind, when I wasn't thinking about Kaito, was sitting right there, by the window, on the chair beside mine. Ignoring the fact that everyone was staring at me, being late and all, I walked up to her, sat down, and, much to my surprise, greeted her with a soft, "Good morning."

She gave me a slight glance, then looked out the window. If I hadn't been paying attention, I wouldn't have heard the soft whisper that escaped her lips. "..what's so good about the morning..?"

That made my eyes widen a bit, but my gaze on her was forced away as coach started homeroom saying, "Kudo, you better be paying attention! Especially since you were almost late!"

I blinked once, then gave a carefree grin that masked my thoughts and said, "Yes, sir."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Classes went by, and in the short duration of our morning schedule, Miyano Shiho had somehow managed to show and prove to the teachers and the entire class that she was better than them.

No, she didn't stand up and announce, "I'm better than you idiots and you know it! I now give you the freedom to wholeheartedly worship me!" followed by one of those high-pitched laughs like someone did some time ago. What she _did_ do was answer the teacher's questions.

Doesn't seem like such a small incident can actually show her superiority huh? But it did. How? Well, during Math class, or Trigonometry if that's what you wanna call it, here's what happened:

She stared out the window.  
The teacher called on her.  
She answered immediately with a look that said, 'No sweat.'  
The teacher was speechless.

It just so happens that the question she answered was the one the class had been trying to solve for the last five minutes. And it just so happens that the class who were solving it were calculating with a paper and pen (we're not allowed to use calculators). And it just so happens that her answer was right.

That can't be called anything other than genius. Unless, of course, if she just so happened to encounter the exact same problem before and just so happened to memorize the answer.

Chances are unlikely, huh?

There's also that incident during Biology. It was a lecture on… apoptosis? I think. Now, I'm pretty good in Bio, especially since most of the cases I've been involved in usually have something about Bio or Chem, but this is the first time I've heard of apoptosis.

Classes had just started, and when the teacher saw that she was the one person who didn't try to even act like she was taking notes, Shiratori-sensei called on her right away with the question: What is apoptosis?

I first thought, _that's unfair! You can't expect a normal high schooler to know that!_

But she did know. She answered with such confidence and accuracy (I could tell from sensei's face that her answer was right), she rendered everyone speechless.

She probably wasn't normal.

The onlyteacher she _didn't_ have a problem with was Jodie-sensei. She didn't call on Miyano-san, but I noticed that they had a staring contest that spanned a few seconds. And after looking into her eyes, sensei smiled, a small knowing smile, and said, "I see." But what did she know? What did she see?

By lunchtime, the only thing I really did know was that I wanted to know.

Confusing? Not really.

Bear in mind that the girl in question just so happens to be (how many times have I wrote that already?):

A possible soccer fan

A genius

Someone I know

So nobody can really blame me if I wanted to know more about her. And nobody can really blame if I tried to strike up a conversation. Nobody can really blame me if she got mad at me.

…can anybody?

"Miyano-san. Do you play soccer?"

Silence.

"Ummm… where did you learn about apoptosis?

Greater silence.

"Miyano-san?"

I reached out to touch her shoulder, but before I did, she turned her head from facing the window to me and whispered in a soft voice, "..what's it to you..?"

With my hand outstretched, I slowly pulled it back. Seeing her melancholic, blue-green eyes, I tried asking another question.

"Have we met before?"

Suddenly, the melancholy in her eyes turned to anger. She silently slammed her hands on the desk with a great, yet controlled strength, and in a sharp, low voice said, "Did your best friend teach you that line?"

I haven't even replied yet, when she grabbed her bag and left me standing there, staring at her back.

_What did I do?_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After Miyano-san left me, wondering what it was I had done, my legs, which somehow had a mind of their own, made their way to Kaito's classroom.

So there I stood, hand on the doorknob, trepidation mixing with confusion, asking myself what the hell I was doing. Of course, there was really no need to ask that, was there?

_What had Kaito done to Miyano-san?_

I took a deep breath, and was about to open the door, when-

The bell rang.

Rrrrrrriiiiiiiiiinnnnnnngggggggg!!!

_Saved by the bell._

That's what I thought. But really, what was I saved from? Why did I hesitate so much to talk to Kaito? Was it because of yesterday's conversation? Was it because of Miyano-san's words? Or was it because… I myself felt that I should avoid him? The he was...

I quickly headed for 2-1's classroom, trying to ignore where my train of thought was taking me.

When I got there, the first thing I laid my eyes upon was the seat beside mine.

Empty.

_Where was she?_

I turned on my heel, intending to search the whole school for her, but there was Mouri-sensei right behind me. Blocking my path, and effectively pushing me back into the classroom, he announced to the whole class, "We're gonna start studying Europe's history, so get back to your seats."

I couldn't have objected. I couldn't have told him off and ran out the room. After all, what was Miyano Shiho to me? She couldn't have been important enough to send me to the guidance counselor now, was she?

So I complied. Grudgingly, mind you. But I didn't show it. Obediently, I went back to my seat as if nothing was bothering me.

My reddish-brown haired seatmate never came back.

Right after the bell rang, right after the last class's dismissal, I rushed out to look for her, almost leaving a trail of smoke behind me.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Which made me aware of one problem. One very big problem.

I had no idea where to look.

I didn't know anything about her. I wouldn't know she'd be. I wouldn't know where to look. And after a not-so-thorough search around the school, I came to the conclusion that she wasn't inside the school grounds. She probably didn't feel enough attachment to Teitan High to actually stay.

Which means there was only one place she would go.

Home.

_Her_ home. And I'm not stalkerish enough to know where that is. Sigh.

I skipped soccer practice just to look for her, and when I didn't find her… Well, there's not much to do but go to my home, is there?

So there I was, walking back home, mentally cursing myself for forgetting my ball (my only salvation), when something rolled to a stop in front of me.

A soccer ball.

_Lucky! _Finally smiling, I picked it up and bounced it around before almost walking off with it. Note, -almost-. Because then, it came to me that if it was rolling, that meant somebody must have kicked it. If somebody kicked it, that meant somebody owned it. And if somebody owned it, I couldn't bring it home. With an apologetic look on my face, ready to say sorry to the ball's owner, I looked in the direction the ball came from.

Looking at me, with the same surprised eyes was…

"Miyano… san?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

And that's it. For the first part anyway.

I guess you're probably wondering, 'What's the sudden obsession with Miyano Shiho?' To tell the truth, even I didn't know. And I had a feeling then, that it wasn't just the familiarity about her. It wasn't just the mystery conncection with her and soccer. There was something else. Something I couldn't place at the time.

But now that I do, well, it just makes me think that I should have realized it earlier.

Sincerely, ~Kudo Shinichi~

**Chapter 8: Soccer Connection end**


	9. Invitation for a Date

**Chapter 9: Invitation for a Date**

It's me, Miyano Shiho.

It was the worst day of my life. No… at that time, it was the second to third worst day of my life. I'm not really sure what I should rank it as. If everything just goes wrong, how am I supposed to know what's right?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Dinner won't be for a while, so you might want to unpack a little first," onee-chan suggested, going back to stirring the pot of what I figured was curry.

Nodding, I climbed up the stairs and headed for my room. Once there, I changed my clothes before looking around. Having just arrived the day before, I hadn't gotten a chance to take a closer look at the room I would be living for the rest of my high school year. Surveying the area cluttered with boxes unopened, I sighed.

I turned to the one closest to me and removed the tape. I was surprised by what I saw.

Inside the box, on top of everything else, was a book. Now, this wouldn't have been such a big surprise, I did have a fair collection of books after all. What did surprise me, was _what _book it was.

_Apoptosis: The Life and Death of Cells_

It was my father's book. My father's research. My father's life.

He gave me that book on my birthday, told me to study it, to continue his research when I grew up. Being the daddy's girl I was, I nodded, smiled happily, and hugged him as tight as a child possibly could.

He died the next day.

It was an accident, they say. It couldn't be helped, they say. We were the unlucky orphans as a blown up laboratory held the corpse of our parents, they say, though in honeyed, buttered words that goes more along the lines of "the unfortunate children who were left behind as their parents passed away due to a series of explosions that occurred in the laboratory."

I didn't believe them at first.

When they didn't return the next day, I thought it was just because I was being a bad girl. Because I wasn't studying the book he gave me.

So I studied. I read the book over and over, and became the only nine-year-old who could possibly tell you the difference between apoptosis and necrosis, the only one who had probably even heard of those words.

They didn't come back.

Right after the funeral, I guess I had accepted the fact that they were dead. Somewhere along the line, I threw away my stupid delusion that they were ever going to come back.

With that delusion, I remember throwing away this book. So why was it here?

I flipped the first few pages, and was even more surprised when a pressed rose revealed itself. It was acting as some sort of bookmark, being exactly where his research ended.

_The Production of Apoptoxin_

I was about to stand up, was about to go down and ask onee-chan about the book, about the rose, when I remembered.

_Onee-chan doesn't like talking about them._

I froze. Frowning at the leaf design on the cover, I put it on the bookshelf and continued unpacking until she called me for dinner.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"So, how was school?" she asked, before I even sat down.

"Like I said, it was interesting." I turned my attention to the curry in front of me.

She raised her finger to her cheek and said thoughtfully, "If it makes you say that much, then something good must have happened. Tell onee-chan _all _about it."

Waving my fork at her, I looked up from my plate and met her eyes. "Is that all you-"

_Is she… sad? _There was a hint of darkness in her irises, unlike its usual cheery brightness.

"Is something wrong?" she said suddenly.

"I think I should be the one saying that," I replied. "Did something happen?"

Surprise entered her eyes, then suddenly disappeared. With a laugh, she tried to cover it up. "What are you saying, Shiho? What could possibly happen?" she said in a light tone. "Anyway, did you meet any cute guys?"

An image of Shinichi Kudo entered my mind. Or was it Kuroba Kaito?

I sat motionless for a moment before brushing her question off with an "as if." That short moment of hesitation however, was more than enough to alert onee-chan's radar.

"So you did meet somebody! Who is it? Who is it?"

"I didn't meet anybody," I said coolly, and proceeded to ignore for the rest of dinner. She seemed amused, up until I took my dishes to the sink. Before I climbed the stairs, I stood by the stairway and looked back at her to say "oyasumi (good night)," when I saw that the sadness I noticed earlier had once again settled on her face.

Knowing that she would just avoid the question if I asked her again, I just whispered, "…oyasumi…" and headed for my room.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

As I walked out the door of my new home the next morning, Akemi-nee-chan bid me, "Itterashai! (take care)"

Wearing a small smile, I whispered back, "Ittekimasu. (I'm going)" I made my way to the gate and when I had closed it, a warm voice sent chills down my spine.

"Ohayou."

_**He**__'s here._

I gritted my teeth, but I didn't let him see any emotion on my face. I turned to look at him, not a glare, not a frown on my face, but sending him the signals of 'What the hell are you doing here?'

He merely smiled in return. Walking towards me, he made me wary. When he took my hand, I stopped breathing.

"Ne, Miyano-san."

He held my hand closer to his face, and only when I felt his lips did I break free of my state of immobility. Snatching my hand away, I was about to slap him, but he once again held my hand and smiled.

"Will you go out with me?"

_Hell no._

I let the glare that was itching to come out break free. About to voice my thoughts, I opened my mouth. Then, I came to a realization.

_If he's the same type of person as __**him**__, then he's only asking me out for the sake of going out with every girl on campus. If I go out with him once, then he'd stop bothering me for the rest of my life._

"If I do, will you leave me alone?"

He seemed surprised by the way he let down his guard, by the way his eyebrows shot up his forehead. Then he regained his grin and walked around me, as if to check me out.

"Aa (yeah), that's right. As long as it's on the record that you went out with me, I'll get off your back."

Not bothering to follow his circular movements, I closed my eyes and stopped my hands from turning into fists. _How could he follow me all the time? Why must a reincarnation be __**here**__, of all places?_

"How long do I have to go out with you?"

The few seconds waiting for his answer was torture. _Please let it be only a day, __**please **__let it be only a day._

"Hmmm… Well, how about until the dance?"

I felt his breath on my face. Opening my eyes, I could see he was mere inches from me. Taking a step back, I pushed my glare up another notch.

"What dance?"

He moved a step back and shrugged. "I'm not exactly sure _what _dance," he said, "but it seems that the teachers are plotting something."

He turned around and walked in the direction of school. With a backward glance, he told me, "Come on, I'll tell you on the way," before heading off.

I bit my tongue to stop myself from saying words I would later regret, and just followed him, making sure I was a few steps behind. He slowed his steps, though, and caught my hand, so that we were side by side. I pulled my hand away, -again-, and said in a tight voice, "Don't act as if I agreed to go out with you. I haven't."

Grinning, he took my hand for the third time, and just before I moved to slap him, he whispered, "No, you haven't. Not _yet_. Besides, it's not like you have a choice, right?"

_What?_

"I see it in your eyes. No matter how long I propose our "relationship" might last, there's no way you'd refuse, is there?"

Seeing that I wasn't pulling away this time, he comfortably fit my hand in his and continued, "Now, what we talking about? Oh yeah, the dance. The teachers are plotting something. They're gonna hold some sort of prom because of that stupid dance class.

"Nobody knows when it's gonna be, but I imagine it's gonna be in a month or so. Go with me to the dance," he said, "and the contract expires." He held his other hand out to me, and gestured for me to take it.

_It's only a month, I can endure it, _I tried to convince myself.

But then, another voice in my head intervened. _'The week you dated __**him **__was hell. How do you think you can take a month?'_

_Just shut up okay? Shut up._

'_I can't shut up. I don't want to shut up. Come on, baka (idiot), use your head for once. How could you possibly live if you spend a month with him? Wake up will you?'_

_What do you want me to do, then, stupid voice in my head?_

_You're supposedly a genius. You can think of something, can't you?_

_It's not that- _I looked at his waiting hand, at his waiting smile. The gears in my head started to turn. "Don't you think a month is to long?" I asked.

"Too long?" he repeated, with a confused expression.

"I know people like you only date for a day or a week. Wouldn't it stain your reputation if you go out with me for a month?" I challenged him, in a tone that was confident.

There was an expression of surprise on his face, which he managed to hide with a smirk. "You seem to know a lot about 'people like me.'"

I raised my eyebrow at him, just enough to show him I meant it. "Just enough so that I can avoid wasting my time with '_people like you'_," I answered, emphasizing the words 'people like you'.

He grinned, a self-satisfied smile on his face, much like **his **smile. "I get it, I get it. You're nervous about being with me, aren't you?"

_Where the hell did you get that idea?_

"I understand, don't worry. How about we start next week then? Let's go on a date on Sunday, my treat."

I've heard those words before: _"Let's go on a date on Sunday, my treat." _I even remember what I replied: _"It better be, you're the guy after all."_

But there was no way I'm gonna say that, not to him. So I merely stared at him, giving no consent or complaint. He took it as the former, capturing m hand in his and pressing it to his lips before I could react. With that, he turned his heel, winked at me, and ran off with a "See you Sunday then!"

_What did I get myself into?_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

School. Each step I took was bringing me closer to that place. With each step I took, I tried to remind myself, _You can do it. _With each step I took, I had managed to convince myself that everything was alright. At least, for the time being.

_His_ fan club was already there, hovering and squealing behind him like a pack of loyal puppies. No, it wasn't something as cute as puppies, I just can't think of the right word for now.

Nobody seemed to notice my arrival, except for _him_. With the barely noticeable wink he shot at me, I passed through the entrance and into my classroom where I proceeded to stare my day out of the window.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Classes. Again. Some of those no-good teachers tried to set me up, but other than that, everything was fine. There were only two teachers who actually… struck a nerve?

Did they? I know one of them, the Bio teacher, Shia Robby-sensei or something, reminded me of my father. No, he did not look like him, in fact he was anything but. He reminded me of him because he had a lecture about my father's research.

Apoptosis.

I never knew they taught things like those in high school, but I tried my best not to show my surprise.

He asked me what apoptosis was. I answered, with the ease of knowledge that came from 6 years ago. My father would have been proud of me, or so I hoped.

The other teacher was the English sensei who I was sure was hiding something. She had a fake, awkward Japanese accent, and a stare that seemed like she knew everything. She even looked at me and whispered, "I see," as if she knows everything about me.

Other than that, the morning was okay, as okay as it could possibly be (which wasn't much).

Lunchtime was the only thing that pissed me off. And guess who the person who managed that was.

Kudo.

The one person who could have possibly been my friend.

"Miyano-san. Do you play soccer?"

I thought he was the one person who could have made me feel better, so I was about to answer him. But I didn't know the answer. I tried to remember, where it was, who it was exactly that taught me soccer, but I couldn't remember.

He probably mistook my silence for annoyance or something, so he asked another question.

"Ummm… where did you learn about apoptosis?"

Another question I could have answered. But for some reason or another, a lump was stuck in my throat. Why was that, I wonder. (Please note the sharpness in what would have been my tone, if I this wasn't typed out.)

"Miyano-san?"

Gentleness.

It was in his tone. It was something I've only received from my sister in this past six years. It was something I wasn't used to. Why was he being like this to me?

So I asked him, I turned my gaze from the window to his eyes and said in a whisper that even I could barely hear, "..what's it to you..?"

He held my gaze, his eyes asking questions. Then, he said the one thing that ruined what would have been my trust for him.

"Have we met before?"

Anger. Fury. Rage. Resentment. Call it anything you want, but that's what I felt when he said those words. The moment those words reached my ears, an image of _those two_ filled my vision. Something I did _not_ want to see.

Unable to control it anymore, the frustration from six weeks and six hours ago all bursting out, I hit my desk with my fists and hissed, "Did your best friend teach you that line?"

I didn't look at his face. I didn't want to see Kaito there. I didn't want to remember.

So I left him. I left the classroom. I left the school.

I was, technically, cutting class, leaving five minutes before the bell, but I didn't care. Not at that time.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hallways, streets, and finally, home. Onee-chan was at work, the house was silent. I went to my room and changed into my favorite clothes, the blue t-shirt my father used to own, and the sweatpants that used to be my mother's. Call me sentimental, but in truth, the only reason I liked those clothes were because they were comfortable.

I'm such a liar aren't I?

Curled like a ball on my bed, I thought to myself, _Why did I even see Kaito anyway?_ He's never said that line to me.

I guess… somewhere along the line, _his _face and Kaito's face had managed to-

_Pathetic._

That's what I am. You agree, don't you? Why was I acting like that anyway? Why was I being such a-

I sighed, and sat up, casting my eyes downward. _What __**is**__ wrong with me?_

"_When you're sad, or things just don't seem right, play soccer."_

The sudden voice disturbed my self-pity, and I had already asked out loud, "Who's there?" when I realized it was just a voice in my head.

"_Things are always going wrong. That's just the way things are in life."_

I was confused. Whose is this voice? What was it trying to say?

"_When life is in shambles, play soccer. You'll feel better, for sure."_

_A childish voice. A memory?_

The whole time the voice was speaking, the opening notes of La Cumparsita was playing in the background. But now, it had faded away into silence, leaving me alone in that little room.

At that very moment, a strong gust blew through the surprisingly open window. An almost empty box that I had placed on my desk the night before suddenly fell. The flaps opened, and out came…

A soccer ball.

So I sat there on my bed, wondering if I had somehow managed to gain ESP, if fate or some other deity was playing games with me, or if I was just plain going crazy.

Wind blew once again, this time pushing the ball in my direction.

I decided at that time that I _was _going crazy. But I picked up the ball anyway, turned it in my hands, and for some reason, left the house and headed for the park.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"_When you're sad, or things just don't seem right, play soccer."_

How could a child be so right? Kicking that ball in that abandoned park, I definitely did feel better. Somehow, it cleared my mind of the problems to come. I was grinning, grinning like I hadn't for a long time.

By the time mid-afternoon rolled around, I was a whiz at aiming for the mark on the wall. Panting a little, I targeted the circular pattern once again, expecting a bull's-eye.

Most things don't always go as you expect them to, do they?

I missed, completely. The ball hit the wall some five meters from the target and rolled out the park. With a 'tsk' spund, I walked towards it, when someone picked it up.

I opened my mouth to shout, "Please give the ball back," when I saw who it was.

Kudo.

He kept his eyes on the ball, which he threw in the air, catching it with the other hand, before raising his eyes in my direction.

"Miyano… san?"

I responded with an equally surprised, "Ku…do?"

There was an awkward silence for a moment, before he self-consciously ran his hand through his hair and asked, "Is this… um… yours?"

My barriers went up. I didn't know why, but I went on the defensive. I replied, in a challenging tone, "And if I do?"

People would normally stutter, say "n-nothing." Or if they don't, they'd say, "I was just asking," followed by a "jeez…" Or they'd get indignant, stand up to me and say, "you got a problem with me, girl?"

He didn't do those. He smiled, and asked, "May I join you?"

I was relieved. Because he wasn't mad at me. Because I wasn't going to be alone. Because, even though he looked a lot like him, they're not the same.

But I didn't show him that.

I turned around, waving my hand in a gesture of 'whatever,' and said, "I never said anything about leaving."

The next thing I heard was the stomping of his feet and the thump of the ball as he ran my goal and shouted, "Let's see how good you are!"

I acted out of character. I played with him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"So, Miyano-san," he said in between pants, "How did you get so good?"

Keeping my hand on my chest, trying to even my breathing, I asked him, "I'm... good?

We were sitting down on the ground stripped of grass. I was sitting up, he was lying on the ground beside me. Smiling he answered in a playful tone, "Hey, you managed to be a challenge for Teitan high's soccer star, you _have got to be _good."

I raised my eyebrows at that. "You're Teitan high's soccer star?"

"More or less. So, where did you learn?" he persisted.

"I… don't really remember. I don't even know why I did this. I just… did."

He looked at me. I expected a "you're weird," or, a disgusted look, or… something. All he did is smile and said, "Hmmm…"

Then he sat up, rising from his lying position. "What about apoptosis?"

"What about it?" I asked, looking at him.

"Where did you learn about it?" He looked right back at me, not a shred of hesitance in his eyes.

That might have been what unnerved me. That might have been what made me do it. That might have been what made me tell everything to him. Well, almost everything.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

By everyting, I mean the ups and downs of my life. The death of my father, the moving, the transferring, everything.

By almost everything, that means I wouldn't include the-

Well, that's it for now.

Signing off, ~Miyano Shiho~

**Chapter 9: Invitation for a Date end**

**Author's Note: **Happy birthday to me! Happy birthday to me! It's Oct. 20th where I live, and it's my birthday! That's kinda why I updated. LOL. Wish me a happy birthday guys!

Anyway, I'm spry for the late update, and for the next announcement I'm gonna give. I won't be updating for the next few months. No, the story's not on hold. I'm gonna write a little day by day. I just don't think I'll be able to update, that's all.

But, don't worry. The next time I DO update, it'll come every other day. The next I update that is. For now, I'm sorry.

Also, I edited chaps 1-8, so you may want to look those over again when I start updating.

**Note:** The book "Apoptosis: The Life and Death of Cells" is authored by Christopher Potten and James Wilson. La Cumparsita is a musical piece written/composed by Gerardo Matos Rodríguez in 1917. They belong to their respective copyright owners.


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